Russia Charges Telegram Founder Durov Over Spy Operations Allegation

Russia's Federal Security Service said Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has been charged with facilitating espionage by allowing Ukrainian intelligence to use the messaging app for spy operations. The FSB said Durov has been placed on an international wanted list, though it did not specify the mechanism through which it would seek his arrest.

The charges mark a dramatic escalation in the Kremlin's long-running conflict with Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to hand over user data. Telegram, now based in Dubai, has since become the primary messaging platform for Ukrainian military and government communications during the war.

The FSB allegation centers on Telegram's security features. Ukrainian operatives have used the app's encrypted channels and bot functions for intelligence gathering, drone coordination, and command communication throughout the full-scale invasion launched in 2022. Telegram has maintained that it does not provide decryption keys or user data to any government.

Durov, who holds citizenship in France, the United Arab Emirates, and St. Kitts and Nevis, has not been in Russia since 2014. The international wanted list places any travel to a country with an extradition treaty with Russia at risk. A French citizenship likely offers the strongest safeguard, as France generally does not extradite its nationals.

The timing carries particular weight for Telegram. Earlier in 2026, French authorities had summoned Durov for questioning over the platform's moderation practices regarding illegal content, though no charges were filed. Now Russian prosecutors want him for entirely different reasons, while European regulators continue pressing for more moderation of encrypted platforms.